Free tools Windows power users keep installed
One-click scans. No signup required.
Spoiler warning: The complete hints and answers for New York Times Connections puzzle #867, dated Saturday, October 25, 2025, appear below. Use the graduated clues first if you still want to solve the grid yourself.
Hints for Connections #867
These clues move from a single revealing tile to a broader description. The four groups are ordered by the game’s usual yellow, green, blue and purple difficulty colors.
Yellow group
One-word reveal: FLEECE
Broader hint: Don’t get taken for a ride; hoodwink.
Green group
One-word reveal: ALARM
Broader hint: No ticking gears; basic Casio tools.
Blue group
One-word reveal: ACCORD
Broader hint: From one to another; discuss.
Purple group
One-word reveal: CAPOTE
Broader hint: Golden statues; an Oscar category in common.
#1 Best Overall
Answers for Saturday, October 25
| Group | Tiles | Connection |
|---|---|---|
| Yellow | FLEECE, HOSE, HUSTLE, SHAFT | SWINDLE |
| Green | ALARM, DATE, LIGHT, STOPWATCH | DIGITAL WATCH FEATURES |
| Blue | ACCORD, AWARD, GRANT, VEST | CONFER |
| Purple | CAPOTE, LINCOLN, MILK, RAY | BEST ACTOR-WINNING BIOPICS |
Why this board is deceptive
MILK is a convincing swindle decoy
“Milk” can mean to exploit someone, so it looks like a possible fifth member of the SWINDLE group. Once the film pattern becomes visible, MILK belongs with CAPOTE, LINCOLN and RAY instead.
GRANT and LINCOLN suggest the wrong category
Both names can evoke U.S. presidents, but that apparent connection is a red herring. GRANT pairs with ACCORD, AWARD and VEST to form words meaning or associated with confer: to grant, award or vest something, or to reach an accord.
The purple category is about performances, not just biographies
The final group consists of biographical films whose lead performances won the Academy Award for Best Actor: Philip Seymour Hoffman in Capote, Daniel Day-Lewis in Lincoln, Sean Penn in Milk and Jamie Foxx in Ray. That award-winning-performance qualification is what separates the set from a general “biopics” category.
How to play NYT Connections
Connections shows 16 words. Select four tiles that share a specific relationship and submit them as a group; solve four groups of four to clear the board. The groups are color-coded by difficulty, with yellow generally easiest and purple most challenging. You can make up to four mistakes. The puzzle is available through NYT Games on desktop and mobile, and a new board resets at midnight in your local time.
Do these 3 things before closing this tab:
1Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minute2Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problems3Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitchesA practical solving order for this puzzle
- Look for the concrete device-function set: ALARM, DATE, LIGHT and STOPWATCH are all digital-watch features.
- After removing those four, test obvious synonym or meaning links. FLEECE, HOSE, HUSTLE and SHAFT all describe ways to swindle someone.
- Examine the remaining words as verbs or related terms. ACCORD, AWARD, GRANT and VEST connect through the idea of conferring something.
- Use the last four names as a cultural-reference category: CAPOTE, LINCOLN, MILK and RAY are the Best Actor-winning biopic films.
What is known about difficulty
There is no published population solve rate, average score or other general performance statistic for puzzle #867. A contributor’s personal “Easy” rating or perfect result should not be treated as a measurement for all players.
Quick Recap
Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.
